Studies and Monitoring

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park (NP), Montana, has its own unique environmental concerns based on its particular ecology. Air quality studies and monitoring programs at Glacier NP focus on toxic air contaminants including mercury, and nitrogen deposition. Click on the tabs below to review air quality studies and key scientific references at Glacier NP, as well as to access information on air quality monitoring in the park.

The park is also obtaining baseline values for selenium in fish (Downs et al. 2011), as there is growing scientific evidence that the heavy metal affects the fate of mercury in aquatic food chains and may moderate its toxicity. However, the protective effects of selenium against mercury toxicity rely on a fine balance of selenium in the diet as it, too, can be toxic to organisms (Peterson et al. 2009).

Nitrogen and Sulfur Impacts

Nitrogen and sulfur deposition are comparatively low at Glacier NP. However, concentrations of ammonium in wet deposition are increasing (Clow et al. 2003; Ingersoll et al. 2007; NPS 2010 [pdf, 2.8 MB];), possibly as a result of nearby agricultural operations. Ammonium contributes to total nitrogen deposition, which may harm sensitive ecosystems. Nitrogen emissions from vehicles, powerplants, and increasing oil and gas development result in nitrate deposition (Peterson et al. 1998 [pdf, 1.1 MB]), which also contributes to total nitrogen deposition in the park, further exacerbating potential effects. find data »

Many high elevation, headwater lakes and vegetation communities in the park are potentially sensitive to the acidification or nutrient enrichment effects of deposition. Both sulfur and nitrogen may acidify lakes with low buffering capacity (Ellis et al. 1992; Peterson et al. 1998 [pdf, 1.1 MB]; Sullivan et al. 2011a; Sullivan et al. 2011b [pdf, 11.1 MB]). Nitrogen has been shown to cause changes in both aquatic and terrestrial alpine plant communities, but this effect has not been adequately studied in the park (Bowman 2009; Saros 2009).

Other factors such as climate change may exacerbate the effects of nitrogen deposition. Glaciers act as sinks for atmospheric pollutants, accumulating nitrogen overtime. As the climate continues to warm, research has demonstrated that melting glaciers release stored nitrogen to downstream lakes, upsetting natural nutrient cycling and causing changes in lake ecosystems (Saros et al. 2010).